↟ The Heritage of our Ancestors ↟

This magnificent rune stone named Hovgårdsstenen (The Håkon stone) with signum U 11, is placed by the ancient harbor bay, below the ruins of Hovgården on Adelsö here in Sweden. It is located so that incoming boats and ships could clearly see the rune stone, and on the other side of the water is Birka, one of our oldest Swedish communities. The rune stone can be dated back to the time before 1080.

Rune stones and ancient sites are protected by law here in Scandinavia. Rune stones was often carved in memorial of a dead or fallen family member, and many stones are also erected and carved in memory of a road, a bridge building or after seafaring Vikings.

Inscription:

raþu × runaʀ × ret × lit × rista × toliʀ × bry[t]i × i roþ × kunuki × toliʀ × a(u)k × gyla × litu × ris… …- × þaun × hion × eftiʀ …k × merki srni… haku(n) × (b)aþ × rista

Rað þu runaʀ. Rett let rista Toliʀ bryti i roði kunungi. Toliʀ ok Gylla letu ris[ta] …, þaun hion æftiʀ [si]k mærki … Hakon bað rista

“Interpret the runes! Tolir in Roden, rightly carved them for the king. Tolir and Gyla had (these runes) carved for both spouses after them for memorial care. Håkon offered to carve.”